Work

Halfway Home: Ukrainian Mothers in Poland on Staying, Leaving and Lives in Between

Year: 2026

Type: book-chapter

Abstract: The chapter examines how the trans-local embeddedness of displaced Ukrainian mothers, shaped by im/mobility, social relations, and symbolic ties to Poland and Ukraine, impacts their caregiving and future aspirations. Drawing on biographical interviews, it explores their struggles with self-reliance, transnational caregiving, and emotional strain during the ongoing war. While return migration remains largely unavailable, it serves as a mental framework shaping their attachment to home and integration experiences. Using a translocal lens, this study highlights how these mothers work through contested belonging, resilience, and the continuous negotiation of home in forced migration.

Source: IMISCOE research series

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-25426-9_13

Authors: Alina Penkala, Ine Lietaert

Institution: Ghent University

Language: English

Topic: Diaspora, migration, transnational identity

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W7165538517